وَلُّواturn المَدِينَةَthe city وَجْهَكُمْyour faces وَدَعُونِيand leave me
وَلُّوا المَدِينَةَ وَجْهَكُمْ وَدَعُونِي
أَنَاI فِيin هَوَايَmy passion وَعُزْلَتِيand my solitude وَجُنُونِيand my madness
أَنَا فِي هَوَايَ وَعُزْلَتِي وَجُنُونِي
Turn your faces toward the city and leave me.
Turn your faces from this city and leave me be
I remain in my passion, my solitude, and my madness.
To my passion, my solitude, my madness
عُودُواreturn إِلَىto البَلَدِthe land الأَمِينِsecure وَغَادِرُواand leave
عُودُوا إِلَى البَلَدِ الأَمِينِ وَغَادِرُوا
بَلَداًa land لِبُعْدِbecause of the remoteness of النَّاسِpeople غَيْرَnot أَمِينِsecure
بَلَداً لِبُعْدِ النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَمِينِ
Return to the secure land, and leave
Return to the safe homeland and depart
a land unsafe because people are far away.
From a land, because of the remoteness of its people, unsafe
عُودُواreturn إِلَىto حَيْثُwhere النَّمَائِمُslander وَالأَذَىand harm
عُودُوا إِلَى حَيْثُ النَّمَائِمُ وَالأَذَى
وَالعَيْشُand life بَيْنَamid وَسَاوِسٍmisgivings وَظُنُونِand suspicions
وَالعَيْشُ بَيْنَ وَسَاوِسٍ وَظُنُونِ
Return to where there is slander and harm,
Return to where are slumber and harm
and life amid misgivings and suspicions.
And life amidst doubts and suspicions
حَيْثُwhere الرَّذَائِلُvices فِيin مَرَافِلِtrailing robes عِزَّةٍhonor
حَيْثُ الرَّذَائِلُ فِي مَرَافِلِ عِزَّةٍ
حَيْثُwhere الفَضَائِلُvirtues فِيin غَلائِلِthin garments هُونِhumiliation
حَيْثُ الفَضَائِلُ فِي غَلائِلِ هُونِ
Where vices wear the trailing robes of honor,
Where vice is with the honored company
where virtues wear the thin garments of humiliation.
And virtue in the midst of the disgraced
حَيْثُwhere الضِّيَافَةُhospitality للنَّزِيلِfor the guest المُرْتَجَىhoped-for
حَيْثُ الضِّيَافَةُ للنَّزِيلِ المُرْتَجَى
مَاwhatever شَاءَhe wishes حَتَّىeven العِرْضِhonor حَتَّىeven الدينِfaith
مَا شَاءَ حَتَّى العِرْضِ حَتَّى الدينِ
Where hospitality offers the hoped-for guest
Where hospitality for the hoped-for guest
whatever he wishes—even honor, even faith.
Is as he wishes, even honor, even religion
حَيْثُwhere التِّجَارَةُtrade بِالوِدَادِin affection وَبِالقِلَىand in hatred
حَيْثُ التِّجَارَةُ بِالوِدَادِ وَبِالقِلَى
وَبِكُلِّand in every رَأْيٍopinion فِيabout الحَيَاةِlife أَفِينِfoolish
وَبِكُلِّ رَأْيٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ أَفِينِ
Where commerce deals in affection and hatred,
Where commerce is in affection and friendship
and in every foolish opinion about life.
And in every view in life that is unblemished
حَيْثُwhere المَصُونَwhat is safeguarded هُوَit الحُطَامُworldly wealth المُقْتَنَىamassed
حَيْثُ المَصُونَ هُوَ الحُطَامُ المُقْتَنَى
وَعَفَافُand the chastity of ذَاتِthe woman of الخِدْرِthe curtained chamber غَيْرُnot مَصُونِsafeguarded
وَعَفَافُ ذَاتِ الخِدْرِ غَيْرُ مَصُونِ
Where what is guarded is amassed worldly wealth,
Where the protected is the sought ruin
and the chastity of the woman behind the curtain is unguarded.
And the chastity of an aged woman is unprotected
حَيْثُwhere المُسِيءُone who harms إِلَىtoward أَخِيهِhis brother بِمَنِّهِby flaunting his favors
حَيْثُ المُسِيءُ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِمَنِّهِ
طَاوِيenfolding الضُّلُوعِthe ribs عَلَىaround نَدىًbounty مَمْنُونِgiven with reproachful reminders
طَاوِي الضُّلُوعِ عَلَى نَدىً مَمْنُونِ
Where he who harms his brother by flaunting his favors
Where the evildoer against his brother by his grace
holds within his ribs a bounty tainted by reproach.
Is folding ribs over dew that is sleep-caressed
حَيْثُwhere الفَتَىthe young man كَالشَّيْخِlike the old man يَحْنِيbows رَأْسَهُhis head
حَيْثُ الفَتَى كَالشَّيْخِ يَحْنِي رَأْسَهُ
وَيَرَىand sees الحَقِيقَةَthe truth رُؤْيَةَthe perception of التَّخْمِينِconjecture
وَيَرَى الحَقِيقَةَ رُؤْيَةَ التَّخْمِينِ
Where the young man, like the old man, bows his head
Where the youth like the elder bows his head
and sees truth through conjecture.
And sees reality in conjectured vision
بَادِيshowing الهُمُومِcares وَلاand no هُمُومَcares وَإِنَّمَاbut only
بَادِي الهُمُومِ وَلا هُمُومَ وَإِنَّمَا
هُنَّthey البَقَايَاthe remnants مِنْof طِلاًwine وَمُجُونِand debauchery
هُنَّ البَقَايَا مِنْ طِلاً وَمُجُونِ
He seems careworn, yet has no cares; rather,
Showing worries though no worries, but rather
they are merely the remnants of wine and debauchery.
These are the remnants of hopes and madness
تِلْكَthat الحَضَارَةُcivilization لاnot أُحِبُّI love خِلافَهَاits opposite
تِلْكَ الحَضَارَةُ لا أُحِبُّ خِلافَهَا
وَأَرَىand I see مَحَاسِنَهَاits beauties شِبَاكَnets فُتُونِtemptation
وَأَرَى مَحَاسِنَهَا شِبَاكَ فُتُونِ
Such is civilization; I do not love its opposite,
That civilization I do not love otherwise
and I see its beauties as nets of temptation.
And I see its beauties as the mesh of temptations
مَاذَاwhat دَهَانِيbefell me فِيin اخْتِبَاريmy testing of أَهْلَهَاits people
مَاذَا دَهَانِي فِي اخْتِبَاري أَهْلَهَا
مِنْfrom كِذْبِthe falsehood of آمَالِيmy hopes وَصِدْقِand the truth of عُيُونِيmy eyes
مِنْ كِذْبِ آمَالِي وَصِدْقِ عُيُونِي
What befell me as I put its people to the test,
What has smeared me in testing its people
from my hopes’ falsehood and my eyes’ truth!
Of the lies of my hopes and the truth of my eyes
Sol 6.1